LEE COUNTY
Real Estate
|
2007 |
2008 |
4/2009 |
| Median Price* Single Family Home |
$254,700 |
$158,200 |
$85,500 |
| Median Price* Condominium |
$234,700 |
$192,900 |
$131,800 |
* Median Price of 101 homes sold would be that price which is lower than 50 of the prices and also higher
than 50 of the prices. In other words, there are homes and condominiums available in every price range in Lee
County. Median prices shown above are for the Cape Coral/Fort Myers MSA. The statistics are meant to give you
a feel for the area as compared to others you may be considering and to show the direction of the market.
Taxes
Visit Buy a Home in Florida for comprehensive property tax information.
Weather
Average High/Low in January 66/43, in July 91/71
Lee County sits just north of Collier County and includes the well known towns of Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs and the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. It is the most populous county in Southwest Florida. The county seat is Fort Myers and the largest city is Cape Coral. Fort Myers/Cape Coral ranked 10th in Retirement Places Rated. Once sleepy Estero is a growing area. The expansive new Coconut Point Mall with its wonderful restaurants and shops is a big draw in Estero. The Gulf of Mexico has the biggest influence on the area and the three rivers: the Caloosahatchee, the Estero and the Imperial, provide not only wonderful residential views, but fantastic recreational opportunities.
Events
The towns and islands of Lee County offer much in the way of entertainment and things to do. Here is a partial list:
Arts & Culture
The Alliance for the Arts is the officially designated Arts organization for Lee County charged with the mission to “facilitate and nurture the creation, development, promotion and education of arts and culture in Lee County”.
Founded in 1975 by community leaders such as David Robinson and Barbara B. Mann, the Alliance for the Arts mission was created to foster the growth of local arts. The Alliance’s membership includes 50 related arts and cultural organizations and supports over 16 local organizations.
You can learn more about the Arts and Culture organizations in Lee County by visiting these websites:
The Alliance for the Arts http://www.artinlee.org
Lee Culture.Org http://leeculture.org/
Parks & Recreation
There are a multitude of County Parks and State Parks throughout Lee County. Gasparilla Island State Park, for example, boasts a pristine beach on the Gulf that is perfect for shelling, swimming, snorkeling, fishing and sunbathing. There are bike trails that meander through the island. Canoeing and kayaking are popular as are the hiking and nature trails. Some of the protected animal species that may be seen on the island are the West Indian manatee, gopher tortoise, southern bald eagle, least tern, royal tern, sandwich tern and the American oystercatcher.
The fishing is phenomenal. Temperate waters welcome large gaming fish in the spring like tarpon and grouper, and year-round catches of succulent snapper and redfish are common.
Whether you're fishing from the shoreline, in the flats, offshore or on a pier, a prize catch is imminent. In the warm summer months, try fishing near piers and jetties in the early morning, before the water heats up. Later in the day, stick to channels and passes, especially during incoming tides. Winter fishing is best inshore. This is high season for flats fishing, especially for snook and big trout. The amiable seasons of spring and autumn allow you to make good use of Lee County's hundreds of miles of waterways, where you'll reel in cobia, Spanish mackerel, amberjack and much more.
To really get to know the area’s waterways, take a cruise with a charter boat captain, hop on a water taxi, rent a boat or head for one of the scheduled services (the least expensive option) to the outer, bridgeless islands.
Shelling charters (from boats for four to six passengers up to vessels that carry 30-plus passengers) take trips to North Captiva and Cayo Costa, where very low populations of people mean an abundance of shells. Along the way, hear tales of the area’s cultural and natural history, and engage in dialogues peppered with local color by seasoned guides.
County and city boat ramps are dotted throughout The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, as are marinas, which range from full-service with overnight dockage to bait shops and fuel stops.
Nature cruises, usually narrated by naturalist types or captains who’ve been plying the waters for years, put wild flora and fauna within easy reach for seniors and families with very young children.
Sailors will find a warm welcome in Lee County, where anywhere is good, but the top places to sail include the north end of Captiva Island and along Fort Myers Beach.
The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail is a 190-mile marked canoe and kayak trail that meanders through the coastal waters and inland tributaries of Lee County, Florida.
Into the woods, along the beaches, deep in the mangrove forest and wading through wetlands, birding on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is a hoot – and a cackle, a caw and a squawk. Named best in the U.S. for birding by USA Today, the area sports a new section of the Great Florida Birding Trail. The Great Florida Birding Trail is a program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, supported in part by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida. This 2000-mile, self-guided highway trail unifies a total of 489 birding sites throughout Florida. Modeled after the successful Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, this ambitious project features detailed guide booklets and special highway signs identifying Birding Trail sites. Lee County has a gateway site in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Gateways have staffed visitor centers and serve as hubs for Birding Trail information. Each gateway has a special kiosk with bird watching tips and introductory information regarding the Birding Trail. Loaner optics can be checked out for free for a day with a driver’s license or major credit card at all gateway locations.
Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for more information on fishing and our Guide to Establishing Florida Residency for Florida fishing license information.
Beaches
Natural sand beaches and warm waters provide the perfect backdrop for relaxing, reading and shelling. Each beach has a character all its own, derived from its unique geography and sand qualities. Families will find soft, white sand great for kids, and a few beaches with excellent playgrounds nearby. Couples can experience solitude and exceptional sunsets. And active types can enjoy volleyball, picnicking, shelling, cycling and skimboarding.
For comprehensive information on all Florida beaches and gift certificates to the best Florida restaurants on or near them, check out The Florida Beach Book!
Golf
There are over 70 public and private courses in Lee County. The standard was set high more than 80 years ago when Donald Ross, America's most famous architect, convinced the Fort Myers City Council that his design would be a perfect fit for the legions of visitors who would make the area a vacation destination. Ross's layout at Fort Myers Country Club received numerous accolades over the years and remains the cradle of golf for locals. Nearby Eastwood Golf Course was critically acclaimed almost from the day it opened in 1976. Designed by Robert VonHagge and former PGA Tour player Bruce Devlin, Eastwood still gets recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top public facilities in the country.
A stunning array of new courses have combined with venerable courses to create one of the hottest golf meccas in the country. According to statistics compiled by the National Golf Foundation, the area annually has one of the top holes-per capita rankings.
There are semi-private courses that are open to the public in the off season. There are also special passes that you can purchase for the off season if you don’t belong to a private club that offer substantial discounts, such as the South Florida PGA Golfpass. Some developers offer discounted passes as well.
Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for additional golf information.
Sports
The Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox hold spring training in Fort Myers.
A Class A Florida State League minor-league baseball team, the Fort Myers Miracle (an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) plays home games at the Lee County Sports Complex.
Arena Football 2 is in Estero. Visit the Florida Firecats @ www.floridafirecats.com
The East Coast Hockey League, the Florida Everblades are in Estero as well. www.floridaeverblades.com
Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for additional sports information.
Hospitals
Lee County is served by six hospitals as well as other walk-in medical centers that serve the community.
Cape Coral Hospital
The Children's Hospital
Gulf Coast Medical Center
Healthpark Medical Center
Lee Memorial Hospital
Lehigh Regional Medical Center
Visit Florida Medical Resources for comprehensive information including Florida hospital ratings.
Colleges
Edison College
Florida Gulf Coast University
Hodges University
Lee County Public Schools
Southwest Florida College
For comprehensive information on Lifelong Learning, visit Your Florida Lifestyle.
Airports
- Southwest Florida International Airport, in South Fort Myers, serves over 7.6 million passengers annually. Currently, the airport offers non-stop flights to two cities in Germany (Munich and Düsseldorf) and two in Canada (Montreal and Toronto), in addition to 35 domestic non-stop destinations. 21 airlines operate scheduled service to and from the airport, with Delta Air Lines serving a plurality of the airport's passengers. On September 9, 2005, the airport opened a new terminal.
- Page Field, also in South Fort Myers, just south of the incorporated limits of the City of Fort Myers, is the county's general aviation airport. Prior to the opening of Southwest Florida Regional Airport in 1983 (now Southwest Florida International Airport), Page Field was the county's commercial airport.
Shopping
Shopping areas with a particular local flavor are dotted throughout Lee County, and include antiques areas and art galleries. Beautiful outdoor shopping areas festooned with architectural details and ample greenery include the new Gulf Coast Town Center, home to the area’s first Bass Pro Shops, Coconut Point http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?id=1202 and Bell Tower Shops www.thebelltowershops.com
.
Miromar Outlets in Estero has over 120 stores including Off Fifth (Saks) and the Neiman Marcus outlet store.
Shoppers and browsers will adore the collection of boutiques amassed in small, easy-to-navigate outdoor spaces and stand-alone communities like Periwinkle Place and The Village, both on Sanibel Island.
Fort Myers Beach has Times Square, an anchor for shopping, dining and nightlife. Brightly colored buildings in pop-art colors emanate from this central pedestrian area, and shops offer everything from upscale gift and resort wear to authentic surf gear. There are nearly a dozen beach specialty shops where visitors can find beach towels, swimsuits, shells and keepsake trinkets.
Flea markets include Ortiz on Ortiz Road near I-75, primarily local produce and Mexican handicrafts, Fleamasters in Fort Myers – with more than 900 vendors – bills itself as “Southwest Florida’s No. 1 Tourist Stop," Flamingo Island in Bonita Springs, has 800,000 items at liquidation prices, and a vast tract in North Fort Myers, the Northside Drive-In Fleamarket, akin to a very large garage sale.
Lee County, Florida, Cities & Towns
Incorporated
Unincorporated
and many Islands
Additional Resources
Lee County Tourism http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com
Lee County Government www.lee-county.com
Featured Towns/Cities
Fort Myers
Nestled along the scenic shoreline of the Caloosahatchee River, the city has become an interesting blend of young and old.
Sporting the youngest population in Lee County, with a median age of 32, the City of Fort Myers is also home to the historic winter residences of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Extensive renovation of the historic downtown waterfront is underway, with new restaurants, nightclubs, apartments, and artistic venues providing energy and growth.
Throughout the year, Southwest Florida residents and visitors enjoy cultural events overlooking the river at Centennial Park and the Fort Myers Yacht Basin.
The “City of Palms” offers much to retirees or second home buyers. Beautiful beaches, recreational parks, festivals and cultural events all draw people to Fort Myers.
There’s a variety of housing from riverfront high rise condominiums to golf course communities to active adult retirement communities. Relative to Fort Myer’s neighbors to the north such as Sarasota and Naples to the south, home prices are very reasonable.
If you would like to get a feel for home prices in Fort Myers or Lee County, visit www.zillow.com and search for recent homes sold.
If you would prefer to save precious time and would like personalized assistance, call or email us today to take advantage of our free Florida Relocation Services. We’ll answer all of your questions and if the timing is right for you, we’ll introduce you to one of the best real estate agents in Fort Myers who can provide detailed information and professional assistance.
